Spalding United 1
Romulus 0
It’s not just a long, unbeaten league run – it’s a long, winning run.
Jordan Hempenstall’s second-half strike proved to be the only goal on Saturday as Spalding United rattled off a fifth straight league win.
And that makes it eight wins from nine matches in Evo-Stik League Division One South. The Tulips – last beaten on October 3 – quickly snatched back fourth spot after being deposed by Stafford Rangers last Tuesday.
Chuffed Tulips chief Pat Rayment said: “1-0 was pretty comfortable if I’m honest.
“We’re not just winning games at the moment, we’re totally dominating them.
“Every player was around eight or nine out of ten on what was a pretty impossible playing surface.
“Romulus are a good side, but they found us when we’re on a very strong run.
“We’ve picked up the accolade for team of the month and that’s great, but what’s more encouraging is the level at which we are playing.
“I’m finally seeing the fruits of three years of hard labour and it makes me very proud of this bunch of players. They deserve all the credit.”
Saturday’s match was far from a spectacle on a heavy, uneven Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, with the band of vocal young Tulips fans ironically cheering every misskick.
The state of the surface was a talking point with the visitors after the photo above of both teams marking the FA’s Football Remembers campaign circulated on Twitter.
Romulus tweeted: “Nice photo of the @spaldingunited and @Romulus_fc players to commemorate WW1 truce match. The soldiers probably played on a better pitch.”
However, the Staffordshire also said they had no complaints [about the result], and “lost to a side that will definitely be up there at the end of the season”.
It wasn’t a day for superlatives for the Tulips’ performance but Rayment will happily carry on taking comfortable 1-0 wins.
There were few bright spots for either team in the first half. Tulips winger Mitch Griffiths was busy at both ends of the pitch, though. First taking a heavy knock while making a crucial block and then testing Romulus keeper Stuart Parsons.
The breakthrough came on 57 minutes.
In a well-rehearsed move, Jamie Thurlbourne’s throw-in near the left-hand corner flag was back-headed by centre-half Nathan Stainfield at the near post and the ball was swept home by Hempsenstall from eight yards.
It could and should have been 2-0 just moments later. Hempenstall cut in along the left byline and pulled the ball back to strike partner Tom Waumsley who had his head in his hands after hooking his effort over from eight yards.
Nathan Stainfield had missed the midweek 5-1 Doodson Sports Cup win over Coalville, but was back alongside Jamie Stevens to rekindle their miserly partnership at the heart of the defence.
Stainfield’s distribution on the poor pitch was admirable and Stevens’ well-timed tackle denied Edwin Aheakorah in the Tulips’ box.
Stainfield had a good chance to extend the lead from a 68th minute Thurlbourne corner, but his header slipped a couple of yards wide.
It was a bit of a nervy final ten minutes, but the Tulips were not exactly hanging on. The closest Romulus came to snatching an undeserved point being a Courtney Baker-Richardson header from a floated free-kick, which dropped past keeper Michael Duggan’s right-hand post three minutes from time.
Tulips: Duggan, Leary, Jackson, Stevens, N Stanfield, McGovern, Griffiths (Hall 65), Nuttell, Waumsley (Tidswell 71), Hempenstall, J Thurlbourne. Not used: L Thurlbourne, Oliver, Pycock.
Vic Couzens-sponsored MOTM: Hempenstall.
Att: 172
